No! No Instant Kill!
by emrys-knight
Summary: Peter is desperate to find a crime to stop. When he finally finds one, he gets overexcited and dives in, head first. All decisions lead to a painful course that will take time to recover from. Note: I used a joke from The Amazing Spider-Man. I do not claim ownership of this joke.
1. Chapter 1

"Instant Kill Mode: Activated." Karen's voice was sweet. Peter had always liked that.

"No! No Instant Kill! Stop turning on Instant Kill!" Peter freaked out as he swung from building to building, seeing the interface change in his mask. "You've gotta chill with that, Karen."

"My apologies, Peter."

"Can you find a crime for me to stop? It's New York. There's gotta be at least one."

"There was one in Hell's Kitchen but it seems Daredevil has that covered."

"Can I help him out?"

"The police have already arrested the suspect. Sorry, Peter."

Peter sat down on a rooftop, overlooking the city. He crossed his legs and put his elbows on his knees with his head leaning into his right fist. "Ugh. Okay, anything else?"

"It seems-nevermind. There was a robbery uptown but it looks as if Iron Fist has taken care of that."

"Oh come on!" A pigeon flies away in fear of Peter's raised voice.

"Well... "

"What? Did Luke Cage stop a kidnapping or something that I could have stopped?"

"It was an attempted murder, but yes. Mr. Cage did, in fact, end the predicament."

"And let me guess: Jessica Jones has just thwarted the plans of an evil public servant or something."

"Exactly that, Peter. You're very good at guessing."

"Yeah, yeah. Is there anything I can do or am I gonna be stuck with sparring with Gamora?"

"Do you not like sparring with Gamora?"

"She's so… I do. But…" Peter crossed his arms. "She's really good and she makes me feel like I'm not good enough of a fighter."

"Good news! I have found a crime you can stop. The Defenders have collectively found a larger crime, therefore leaving you with this one!" Karen sounded excited. At least one of them was.

"So I pick up the crime scraps?"

"Shall I alert the police of this one, if you are not interested?"

"No. No, I'll take it, Karen." Peter started swinging throughout the city, on the way to the scene. "I just wish I had more interesting crimes to deal with."

"Two men have entered into a corner store, one is armed. Their faces are unidentifiable." Karen alerted Peter, showing the live camera footage from inside of the store.

"Got it! Thanks, Karen!"

::::::::

Peter swung in front of the front doors and dropped onto the concrete in front. He kept low, avoiding the windows as to not be seen from the inside. He crawled up the side of the building, making entry from the top through the open vents. When he got inside, he dropped on the disgusting tile floor. He saw the armed man had his knife trained on a shopper while his partner waited for the cashier to finish filling the duffel bag with cash and cigarettes. Peter decided the man with the knife was better, as he was the immediate threat to someone's physical well-being. Just like the Avengers had taught him.

"Hey, guys! I dunno if you missed the day in school when they talked about how stealing is wrong, but you should really know that. So… stealing is wrong!" Peter thought his joke delivery was lacking but he decided he'd at least try.

"Spider-Man." The knife-wielding man addressed him with a rude tone that sounded very distasteful towards the hero.

"You've heard of me!" Peter tried to not sound too excited but, hey, he's in a city with a bunch of famous heroes and a criminal just said his name with disgust! He was doing well!

"Back off…" The knifeman pointed his knife towards Peter. It was about three to four inches long, Peter guessed.

"Is… Is that a knife?" Peter's sarcastic tone wasn't registered by the man.

"Yeah!"

"You've found it! My weakness! Small knives!" Peter lowered himself to the ground, lifting his hands in sarcastic surrender.

"He's making fun of you, Z!" The weaponless criminal called out.

"You makin' fun of me?" Z took a small step closer as Peter stood back upright.

"Absolutely not." Peter continued with the sarcasm, making Z charge him, knife first. Peter dodged the weapon, disarming the man. He threw it across the room, punching the criminal, landing him on the floor, unconscious.

"Who's next? Wait… you're the only other one here. Okay, so I guess you're next." Peter theatrically turned to see the unarmed criminal. Peter leaped towards the man, attempting to immobilize him, like Bucky said when he felt the man grab onto him, as well. He squeezed as hard as he could, making Peter laugh. "You're gonna have to try harder than that to hurt me." Suddenly, he started to feel weak and dizzy.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Spidey." The man teased.

"Woah." Peter's head started to spin, and he felt as if his mind were numb and in pain all at the same time. "W-what?"

"I'm a mutant, kid. I'm changing your memories."

Peter felt his mind slipping as the Avengers were a faded, then replaced with bad. He started to remember… Reece? Who… oh! It's the friend who's hugging him! And he's robbing a store. Why would he hug him while they were robbing a store?

Police sirens were heard in the distance. Peter looked at the man who had just put him down. "What do we do, Reece?"

"Stop them! I'll get the loot and we'll go."

Peter ran outside, to see cop cars screeching up to the storefront. A cop got out of one of the cruisers with a relieved smile on his face. "Spider-Man! Glad to see you've got this!"

"Back off!" Peter shot his webs out, encasing the cruisers, trapping the police inside except for the one who had just spoken to him.

"The hell?!" The officer drew his weapon on Peter, haphazardly, not knowing how to react. "Spidey, you okay?"

"We walk away with the cash and no-one gets hurt!" Peter yelled. The cop started to see it. Spider-Man turned bad?!

"Spidey…" The cop's hands shook, as he held the gun. He didn't wanna shoot freakin' Spider-Man! Peter lost his patience, lunging towards the cop, forcing the man to take defensive action… by shooting Peter. The spider fell to the asphalt, grabbing at his stomach. The bullet remained inside his stomach, moving slightly with every breath, making Peter groan. The officer ran towards Peter, seeing the pool of blood forming under the hero, along with the growing darkening of his suit.

"Dammit!" Z yelled from the doors. He'd just awoken to see Peter get shot. He ran back through the small corner shop, grabbed his knife and ran back outside to see the cop attempting to stop the bleeding coming from Peter's stomach. He quickly slit the officer's throat and grabbed the young Avenger who kept mumbling.

"T-Tony?" He had had no idea why he was saying that. Why was he thinking about Iron Man while bleeding out?"

::::::

Back at Z and Reece's dilapidated house in the middle of the New York suburbs, Peter lay on the dining room table, as the two men attempted to dig the bullet out of his stomach with some disgusting, rusty pliers. His screaming was muffled by Z holding a towel over his face. He kicked his feet and balled his fists, straightening his arms at his sides. His tears streamed under his mask, as the two couldn't figure out how to get it off. (Thanks to Tony's amazing protectiveness and foresight)

"Almost out!" Reece dug a little deeper, grabbing the bullet and slowly and painfully pulling it out eliciting another scream and more tears from Peter. When it was out and the pliers and bullet set aside, the two left Peter for a moment while he panted, eyes wide, trying to recover from the ordeal he'd just experienced. When the two returned, they carried him into the living room and laid him on the couch. He whimpered while the two ignored him completely. But… he had memories of them being friends. He'd just been shot and they had to dig a bullet out of him and they were friends but… what kind of friends ignore their hurt friend?

::::::::

Peter woke up in a house that felt familiar and unfamiliar. How? He stood, feeling a dull pain in his stomach. He was shivering and sweaty at the same time, too. Why? Oh. Right. GSW. Alrighty, then. He walked into the kitchen area, seeing Z and Reece standing around the island, discussing their next job.

"Will he even be ready for the next job?" Z heard Peter entering the room.

"I'll be ready." Peter wasn't sure why he was even saying that. He couldn't remember what it was he was even going to do!

"He says he's ready, then he's ready." Reece crossed his arms, turning to look at Peter. "Let's plan this shit out."

::::::

"Steve! Bucky! T'Challa! Sam! Get your asses in the common room! We've got a problem with Peter!" Tony's tone was frantic, worrying the other Avengers.

When they all got into the room to see the television screen, they all froze. Bucky came a bit closer to the TV, eyes wide. "What's he done? Why did he do that?"

"I don't know. I don't- this isn't him, guys." Tony defended Peter, sensing something was up.

"He seems to be acting of his own accord, Mr. Stark." T'Challa's accent was so warm and calming that it was really starting to piss Tony off while he's trying to be all freaked out about his kid.

"No, this isn't him. This isn't Peter. Or it is and something's wrong with him but this isn't the kid we've trained. The kid we've come to know." Tony crossed his arms, turning around just in time to see it. The money shot. Peter's GSW to the stomach. Tony's knees nearly gave out at the sight.

"Peter." Steve came closer to the television screen, getting a full view of the shot. A few pedestrians had filmed, many from different angles.

"But where is he, now? The kid would've come here if he was hurt. It's a safety thing." Sam tilted his head, slightly.

"Friday, track Peter's suit," Tony called to the AI.

"Right away, Mr. Stark." She chirped. Not much longer after, Tony's suit was on his body, and the room emptied as the others went to suit up. "It seems he is in the suburbs."

"He doesn't even live anywhere close to that area…" Tony looked at the map Friday had provided for him. "Why would he be over there? It's not even on the way to the compound or the tower…"

"Found him?" Bucky came in, ready to roll. The rest of the group followed behind the White Wolf.

"Yup. I've got his location. Let's find out what's going on with Peter and get everything sorted out." Tony kept a determined facade over his emotional wreck of an inside feeling. The group followed him closely, leaving the compound to find their kid.


	2. No, Peter!

"This is gonna be our biggest and job we've ever pulled, Z." Reece cocked his gun.

"Hell yeah! We've got Spider-Man, now." Z looked to a sleeping spider. Luckily, they still hadn't been able to get any part of his suit off.

"Is he good enough to go? If he's too sick to come, we're not gonna be able to do this.

"He'll be fine, Reece."

"I can do this." Peter's voice was raspy as he groggily sat up. "Let's do it."

::::::::

"He's moving, but, not as fast as he usually does," Tony looked at the map being projected on his arm from Friday. "He's probably in a car. His swing-speed is about three times as fast as that."

"Why would he be in a car? He would never get in a car if he could swing," Steve looked at the group.

"Do we think he's hurt?," Bucky crossed his arms, turning, slightly as he sat back down in his seat on the Aven-Jet..

"Why would you suggest that?" Sam's tone gained a shrug from Bucky.

"I'm just exploring the possibilities, bird-boy," Bucky tilted his head.

Steve gave Bucky a stern look, "While it's not what we want to happen or think about… Maybe he's right. It's a possibility."

"Friday give me Peter's PA." Tony's voice was frantic.

"He is suffering from a hole in the stomach that dampened my sensors in the area. Given prior events, it seems to be a gunshot wound. My sensors are indicating a minor infection, as well." Friday's voice was lower than usual, probably something Tony added for situations where he was worried about his teammates.

"Geez." Sam rubbed a hand over his face, pacing. Steve, Tony, and Bucky pondered for a moment. "The kid's in bad shape."

"Maybe it's not too bad. Maybe he's trying to get to the compound?" Steve's attempts at positivity were starting to piss Tony off.

"You heard his Physical Analysis, Steven." Tony's tone has harsh but understood. "It's gonna be okay. The jet has Peter's location. We're headed there, now, but… The Hell is he doing at Interpol?"

::::::

"You're gonna climb up the side of this building to the top floor. This building has information on both me and Z. They shouldn't have the information. If they keep it, they can hurt all of us. Me, Z and you." Reece gave Peter a piece of paper and pointed outside of the van to the top of the building. "This is the file number you need to get to our information so you can delete it. And on the back, there's a code you type in to give their systems a virus."

Z gave Reece a look.

"So that they can't hurt anyone else!" Reece's tone sounded like one of the first superhero films, sounding as fake as it got but Peter seemed to buy it with his "infection mind."

"Got it!" Peter stared at Z in a slight haze.

"Go!" Z motioned to the door of the van.

"Right." Peter left out of the double doors in the back of the van, closing them behind him and swinging up to grab onto the large windows on the side of the building. He climbed with fantastic speeds, relishing in the pride as pedestrians marveled at his ability and speed. When he got up to the assigned window, he punched through the glass with a whispered "sorry" and proceeded to climb into the room. He looked around for a computer server that Reece had shown him a picture of. He grabbed the information and started to leave the room when Tony flew through the hole in the window Peter had previously gone through.

The spider looked up to Tony, feeling a familiarity. He couldn't quite put his webs on it, though. He looked at the father-figure with empty eyes.

Bucky, Sam, and Steve quickly ran through the back door, into the room to see Peter standing at the servers, staring Tony down.

Tony steps toward Peter, eliciting a flinch. "Peter, what are you doing? Why didn't come to us when you got shot?"

"I-I know you." Peter tilted his head in question.

"Yeah. I know you, too, Pete." Tony's sarcastic tone did nothing to help Peter's recollection.

"You're Iron Man." Peter's confusion was starting to scare the heroes.

"You okay, kid?" Bucky looked over at Steve and Sam who then returned the look.

"You're not just Iron Man?" Peter crouched, putting his hands over his ears, eyes wide. "Not just Iron Man. Why does it feel like he's more than Iron Man? Iron Man. Tony Stark. Tony Stark. Iron Man." He repeated it like it would somehow bring everything to the surface. No such luck.

"Peter how about we go home?" Steve started to walk towards Peter with his hands in the universal sign of surrender, hoping to calm the hero. Peter quickly shot upright, pushing his hands out towards Steve, sending him through the back wall, alarming the older Avengers.

"Peter! What was that for?!" Bucky ran back to help Steve. Sam started walking towards the spider, hoping to talk him through the situation.

"Hey, kid. Do you want to go back to the compound? We can get Happy to bring May and Ned over…" Sam's words were understood but unfamiliar.

"Who is Happy, Ned and May?" Peter tilted his head, once more. "It-it sounds familiar but I dunno why." He looked back at Tony, who he realized was getting closer with each moment. He panicked and tackled the father-figure, bringing a hand to the Iron Man suit's neck. He squeezed with great force. Not as much as he could have, but it still put a strain on the suit, scaring the man inside. Friday sounded a few alarms in the suit, alerting Tony that the metal would not be able to handle any more force other than what it was currently undergoing.

"Peter!" Bucky ran from a now-standing Cap, towards Peter, bringing him into a tight bear hug. Peter thrashed violently in the White Wolf's hold, jerking his head every which way, even attempting to hit the super-soldier in the face with the back of his head. Unsuccessfully, luckily. "Peter, what's going on, buddy?"

"Let me go, you filthy man!" Peter's tone was theatrical.

"I think he's fine. That was a fantastic Vine reference." Sam joked. The other heroes weren't having it.

Peter's thrashing started to hurt, but he continued, nonetheless. "Let me go! Put me down!" Suddenly, there were two loud popping sounds heard, followed by a pained, breathless scream. It was obvious to the older Avengers that Peter would not stop fighting.

Bucky looked at Tony with sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Tony. Peter."

"Sorry for what? What are you gonna do, Barnes?" Tony took a quick, frantic step towards the spider and the wolf. Without warning, Bucky gave a quick and hard squeeze, breaking two of Peter's ribs, eliciting a breathless scream from the kid. "Barnes!"

"He's not gonna stop fighting, Stark. He thinks we're the enemy, right now, for some unknown reason. We can't help him if we're trying to protect ourselves from him." Bucky set the kid down, who curled up into the fetal position.

"You just want me for my powers!" Peter grabbed at his ribs, once more, while outstretching an arm towards the window, sending out a web. He pulled himself through the open glass, falling down towards the street below.

"Dammit, Peter!" Tony flew out of the window, plunging down to the street below. He shot a web out, grabbing onto a window on the apartment building across the street from the secret Interpol HQ/Official Offices. Tony flew down, grabbing onto the young hero, not releasing his grip, even as the injured spider fought with all of his strength.

"Let go!"

"Friday, sedate him." Tony watched as a medium sized needle came out of his shoulder and injected itself into Peter's arm with a strong sedative.

"L-let g… Let m'go." Peter's words slurred as he slowly lost his battle with the darkness, being fully enveloped in its powerful grasp, unable to fight. Tire screeches could be heard, while Z and Reece attempted to get away, unknowing Tony brought backup.

"Nat, Clint; handle them?"

"Gladly," Natasha called out through the coms.

"Alive." Tony and Clint, at the same time.

Natasha let out a drawn-out groan while she chased the van. "Fine. But they hurt the kid, so if I have no choice but to kill them, don't even try to feel bad for them."

"We won't." Tony, Clint, Steve, Bucky and Sam, all in unison.

:::::

"What the hell?!" Peter woke up to find himself laying in his med-bay bed. He struggled in his restraints. The groggy feeling of the drugs and the tight and unwelcome feeling of the wrist, ankle and chest restraints on the bed started to make him panic even more. Tony came up to the bed from his seat across the room, to try and calm the hero.

"Peter, you have to calm down." Tony tried to place a hand on Peter's shoulder, only making him flinch away and look at his father-figure, intense fear in his eyes.

"Everything, physically, seems normal. Mentally… that's really not my area of expertise. I can monitor his vitals, keep him restrained, maintain his healing wounds and attempt to keep him from hurting himself, but there's nothing much I can do in the mental department, Tony. Bruce fixed his glasses, looking at the screen beside Peter's bed.

"You think he'll talk to me?" Sam stood, making his way towards the bed.

"Peter, can you hear me?" Tony looked into the kid's eyes.

"I can hear you. Let me go!" Peter started to struggle a bit harder before feeling the intense pain in his stomach and ribs. "Agh!" He stilled, realizing his physical situation.

"I can't give you pain medication, Peter. I'm sorry." Bruce signaled to Tony to follow him out into the hall. The two went outside, leaving Sam and Steve in the room, along with Peter.

Bruce closed the door behind him then crossed his arms and faced the billionaire.

"What? Is he okay? Why can't you give him pain medication?"

"He's okay. Physically, at least. I can't because I won't."

"Won't? Why?"

"Did you see the way he stayed still? He didn't struggle because it hurt to. He's not in too much pain as long as he doesn't struggle."

"Bruce…" Tony rubbed a hand over his face.

"I don't like it any more than you do, Tony."

"No, you're right. I'm just worried about him."

"All of us are. Bucky won't even come to this side of the compound because he feels bad about having to hurt him to make him stop. And no, he didn't say it, but, he didn't have to."

"You know Peter. He's gonna forgive him. Once he gets better, at least. Bruce, I don't think he remembers us. Something's wrong. I'm going to get the footage from Karen and see what happened."

::::::

It's been two days and Z and Reece haven't said a word. The Avengers have been keeping them in the basement of the compound in two different interrogation rooms, letting the two to sweat. Tony had been asking them questions for the past few days, hoping to get answers as to what was happening to Peter. Natasha constantly told Tony it would be best if she did the questioning,

Peter hasn't slept or eaten. He hasn't drank, voluntarily. Bruce has taken a wide medicine-syringe and forced the water into Peter's throat. The kid fought, at first, then stilled when he was painfully forced to remember the pain he was in. Tony decided it would be best if May and Ned stayed away, as they wouldn't want them to see him like that.

The third day, though, was when Tony decided Natasha would be taking point.


	3. The Final Chapter

Peter's room was quiet and dim. He lay in the bed, now without his chest and ankle restraints. He'd remained still and cooperative, so Bruce decided to reward the good behavior. He'd been eating and drinking, voluntarily. He still hadn't slept, but his nutrient consumption was greatly welcomed.

The Avengers had finally decided to leave him alone, hoping he'd sleep. Bruce finished checking his vitals and Sam had finished with his unsuccessful attempts to get him to talk. Peter, ever the opportunity grasper, took the chance. He swung his legs out, landing his feet on the floor, overturning his hospital bed. He quickly caught it before it fully hit the ground, keeping it from making too much noise. He took a quick moment to make sure no-one came running in to check and see what the small noises were. When no-one came, he kept going. He did his best to quietly break off the reinforced metal pole sides of the bed, giving him some mobility in his arms.

He slid the poles out of his restraints, leaving only the cuffs on. He elected to ignore the pain. He wasn't doing so great at it, but he at least tried. He grabbed at his ribs, quietly tiptoeing through the room to the door. He slowly and quietly opened it, making his way out and through the halls. He passed rooms that felt familiar. He brushed the feeling off, keeping his pace.

::::

"I'll talk to him but if no-one else is having luck, what makes you think I will?" Bucky crossed his arms as he, Tony and Steve ascended in the elevators towards the floor Peter's room was on.

"I'm not sure but I'm desperate. Nat is interrogating the guys that did this to the kid as we speak." Tony looked at the numbers on the screen, seeing they were one floor below Peter's. "He'll get better, but for now, we need to exhaust all our resources on trying to help him."

Bucky sighed. "You're right." The elevator doors opened and the Avengers exited the metal box, walking the way of Peter's room until they saw him tiptoeing through the halls towards them.

"Peter?!" Tony called the armor to him while Steve and Bucky broke into a dead sprint towards the kid. Peter jumped onto the ceiling, attempting to avoid the super soldiers.

"Get away from me!" Peter kept his body as close to his hands and the ceiling as he could. Unfortunately, for him, Bucky jumped up and grabbed the spider by his leg and pulled him down, back into a tight bear hug. Peter thrashed in his unwanted hold. He cried out, tears streaming down his face. "Please just let me go! Don't hurt me again!"

The older Avengers broke, internally. The poor kid was so scared and there was nothing they could do for the time being. Bucky carried Peter to a different room, having Bruce restrain him, fully. The kid lay still, tears streaming down his temples.

:::::

"What did you do to him?" Natasha grabbed onto Reece's hair, pulling his head back, exposing his neck to her knife. When he didn't budge, she decided to up her tactics to the next level. She left the room for a moment, grabbing a file out of the adjacent room. She looked into the camera, "I'm sorry, Tony. But this needs to happen."

When she entered the room, once again, she set the file down in front of Reece, laughing.

"What, now, lady?" Reece kept an arrogant facade, not fooling Natasha at all.

"Lady? Wow. Original. So your name is Reece Kzurich. You're twenty-seven in two months, went to CSU for six months, then dropped out on account of expulsion. Your father died ten years ago, leaving you to take care of your sweet mother. Your mother who's not been following all of the laws of the US. See, I know she's here legally. You don't need to tell me that. But what I also know, is that it's conditional. She has to be a law-abiding citizen. But it seems she's not. She bought some illegal drugs on the black market about a year ago. See, that can get her deported…" Natasha sat on the table, next to a now sweating Reece.

"She just had surgery. She couldn't afford the hit she'd take with insurance so she needed to get her pain meds without insurance knowing. She needed them."

"Oh, I know. But, right now, Spider-Man doesn't trust us. In fact, he's scared of us. Something he's never had a problem with. He's an Avenger. When you mess with one, you mess with all of us. And there's a lot of us. Just imagine if I decided to kill you for this. Maybe Thor would decide to use his lightning on you. Black Panther would use his claws. Iron Man has some new tech that could be used for torture if he put his mind to it. Don't get me started on what the Hulk could do to you. Need I go on?" She crossed her arms.

"Kill me if you want, but leave my mom alone."

"Put Spider-Man back to normal and we'll leave your mom alone and erase any records of her having bought the meds."

"Deal! Deal!" Reece nearly jumped out of his seat. "He'll need to come here, or I'll need to go to him."

:::::::

Reece was brought into Peter's room while he was asleep for the first time in three and a half days. The man remained in cuffs, giving him enough room to stand behind Peter's bed, putting both hands on the sides of Peter's head.

"This is going to hurt him. His memories will be back but it's not going to be painless. You know I won't kill him, given what you've got over me." Reece looked at the Avengers in the room: Tony, Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Bruce.

Natasha could see Tony's hesitation, "We have no other choice." Her voice was only a whisper.

"Do it." Tony watched on, hating every moment Peter screamed in agony at the pain barreling through his mind.

"Stop! Please! Please stop!" Peter scrunched his eyes shut, struggling in his restraints. His pain in his chest and stomach was dulled by the immense pain in his head. Tony closed his eyes, trying not to see the tears and thrashing of his kid. "Please!" Peter's voice was broken and small.

When Reece finished, Peter was left, panting eyes unfocused and glassy, tears leaking through the sides, running down his temples.

"Peter?" Tony quietly and slowly stepped towards Peter's bed. He placed a gentle hand on the kid's shoulder, spirits lifting when he saw he didn't flinch.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter's head lolled to the side, allowing him to look at his father-figure. Tony nearly passed out with the intense flood of relief.

"There you go, kid." Steve quickly came up to the bed, taking off the restraints before Peter's mind could get to the processing speed necessary to understand what was going on. Peter watched as it happened, not fully aware. Peter's brow furrowed before his eyes quickly rolled into the back of his head and his body fell limp. The Avengers panicked, looking at his vitals. No alarms went off and the vitals were normal.

"He's okay. He just fell asleep. He's had an exhausting week," Bruce directed everyone but Tony out of the room, allowing Peter to get rest, without being alone.

:::::

"Tony! No, Tony!" Peter's screams filled the compound, waking Tony, immediately. He rushed to wake the young spider, shaking his shoulders, calling out to him.

"Peter! Peter, wake up, kid!"

Peter jolted upright in the bed, hyperventilating and grabbing onto Tony's shirt with a tight grip, ripping the fabric at the seams and at the area under his fist was.

"You're okay. It's okay."

"I almost killed you. I could have killed you, Mr. Stark. I-" Peter curled up into Tony's arms, crying, not releasing his grip on the older man's shirt.

"You didn't. Even with your mind messed up, you still didn't kill me. That's what matters, Peter. You didn't."

"I wanted to. I would have if Mr. Bar-Bucky didn't stop me."

"That wasn't you, Pete. That was someone messing with your mind. That wasn't you."

"What I did…"

"You're right." Tony pushed Peter away, keeping his hands on the kid's upper arms, looking him dead in the eyes. "What you did was insane."

"I-"

"You tried, so hard, to find someone to help, that you endangered yourself. In the process, you got shot, sick and had your mind manipulated." Tony pulled Peter back into a tight hug. "You're right. What you did… made you a hero. Deserving to be an Avenger."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark."

"What have I said about that?"

"Thank you. Tony."

"There ya go." Tony laid the kid back down, moving into the chair beside the bed. "Now go back to sleep. I'll be right here for the rest of the night. And you know what? I think I want some pizza tomorrow from… Maggiano's?

"Maggiano's?! Really?!" Peter nearly sat back up before quickly adjusting himself in his bed. "I'll go right to sleep, Mr.-Tony."

"And I may or may not bring the other Avengers with me. And maybe even Shuri?"

"Shuri?! I haven't seen her in so long! Thanks, Tony!"

"You're welcome, kid. Now get some sleep. It'll make time go by faster."

"Goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight, kid."


End file.
